Yes, I am a Book Editor & I Hired a Book Editor for My Book Baby

Yes, I’m a writer and hired a book editor. Yes, I work as a book editor full time and I hired a book editor.

As writers, we tend to be too close to our work to correct the story elements that have holes in them or correct those minor grammatical errors thanks to the tricks our eyes play on us. Editors are meant to pinpoint what you’re missing, how things can be reworked, what should be taken out, and what should be tied together. Editors are meant to help enhance the story you already have.

As writers, it’s easy to pass over the same misspelling, punctuation error, or plot hole over and over and over again, never catching on to this error in the story. The closer you are, the less critical and objective you are with your book baby, especially over time.

As writers, we can sometimes think something is so clearly on the page when it’s really lacking. We’re blinded by how close we are to our work and our love of our novel. Even as a professional editor myself, I know I have flaws in my writing. I know my book needs to be in the hands of a professional before it’s published. That’s how much I believe in this process. I want more people to consistently read my work, and I know having another editor comb through it will give my book a better chance of this. There is a reason editors are part of a publishing house team, and I’m not going to deny that I’m someone who believes books should be edited prior to publication.

I believe professional editing gives books a better chance, and a stronger start right out of publication and beyond. I believe in it so much that I hired a professional editor for my debut novel. Despite being a professional editor, I know my writer heart is too clouded to see my novel’s flaws.

Yes, I am a book editor and I hired a book editor for my book baby.

XO,

Ashley